


The way to my heart

by thegirlontheblackhoodie



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Shopping, Couch Cuddles, Cuddling & Snuggling, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, No Smut, Sick Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:40:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27832426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegirlontheblackhoodie/pseuds/thegirlontheblackhoodie
Summary: Zayn gets pneumonia. Niall's there to help.
Relationships: Niall Horan/Zayn Malik
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28
Collections: 1D Christmas Fest 2020





	The way to my heart

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as part of the 1D Christmas fest, to read the other fabulous fics in the fest, please [click here!](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/1dchristmasfest2020)

Z 

It was safe to say that winter wasn’t Zayn’s favourite season, with the extremely-cold-outsides and overly-warm-insides cycle every time he went anywhere, the hoards of people that were suddenly on the street and the always present carol blasting from someones’ sound system. But he faced it every year with scarfs, blankets, hot chocolate and any other item that could provide/keep warmth. 

Snuggling under a nice blanket was one of the few things that Zayn genuinely enjoyed in winter, but having to bury himself in a pile of blankets while wrapped in a few layers of his warmest (now sweaty) clothes wasn’t quite the same, no matter what Niall said. 

“Time for your meds, Z.” 

Zayn grunted and moved to prop himself on the sofa, every joint in his body aching and his chest burning. He took the pills and swallowed them all in one go with the water that was offered to him. He felt exhausted just from that. 

“Still can’t believe that you let that cold turn into a bloody pneumonia. If you had just-” 

“Taken your advice and gone to the doctor, yes, I know, Niall,” interrupted Zayn, rolling his eyes at the by-now-usual discourse. 

“And yet…” The raised eyebrows were all Zayn needed to get the message. 

He downed what was left of the water and snuggled back under the sweaty blankets, eyes heavy with sleep and meds while he looked at Niall picking up a few stray cups and taking them to the kitchen. The calm expression on his face was the last thing Zayn saw before falling asleep. 

Some time later, he woke up to the soft murmur of the TV and fingers in his hair, causing him to sigh happily. Somehow, he had ended up laying half on top of Niall, head on his shoulder and both their legs covered by some blankets. 

He must have made some kind of noise, ‘cause Niall broke the silence with a soft, “Hey, babes,” and gave him a brief look before going back to whatever was playing on the TV, like he always did. Well, like he had been doing for the past week, while he tended Zayn. 

It was a nice routine -exluding the fact that Zayn was more snot than person, but oh well-, filled with cuddles and scheduled medication and homemade meals, since apparently Niall could actually cook. Some twisted part of his brain almost wished he would stay sick forever, just to have Niall this close all the time. Not that Niall was anything like distant with Zayn, having known each other for almost five years and being inseparable since the beginning. 

But this physical closeness, hands on his hair and his back, chin on his head, legs tangled under the blanket, was something Zayn couldn’t have, not really, not permanently. Not when he had been obviously half-way in love with Niall for the most part of three years and Niall had just broken up with his most recent boyfriend. And it was fine most of the time, but Zayn could never stop himself from being a little selfish sometimes, like when he’s feeling empty and drained and Niall just knows to not make questions and let him drink too-sweet tea while cuddled under his arm. 

Like now, when Zayn’s lungs feel like they’re collapsing on every breath, his head hurts from the fever and Niall is soft and warm and smelling of his laundry powder while asking softly if he wants chicken or veggie broth for dinner. In moments like this is easy to forget that Niall isn’t even interested in him. 

~*~ 

N 

If there was a thing Niall's good at, it's taking care of people. His friends and family always praised him for it, saying he's always where he's needed and somehow just knows what people need at certain times. Truth is, he just liked it; liked knowing that he could put a smile on someone's face, that he was close enough to someone to know their little quirks and their favorite comfort drink. 

So, that would be one way to explain why he has been staying with Zayn for the past ten days, cuddling him under all the blankets he could find in the apartment, waking him up for his meds and cooking all kinds of broths for him. That's the reason everyone would expect and accept from him. 

The real reason was one that Niall had been holding close to his heart for a few months, the same that Luke had unkindly shoved in his face while breaking up with him, the same that had crossed his mind on every date for the last four months of his relationship. 

Niall was, undeniably, falling in love with Zayn. 

In the beginning, it didn't make any sense. Zayn and him had been friends for years, why was he feeling like this now? No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find a logical explanation, and was left with the funny feeling in his tummy whenever Zayn looked at him for a second too long or touched his hand when passing. 

The more he thought about it, it actually seemed like he and Zayn had been dancing around each other for a while, with all the casual touches they shared and how well they knew the other, the small ways they had been caring and helping each other out. 

Sometimes, like now, when Zayn was soft and calm and warm next to him, Niall was sure that they could make the whole friends-to-lovers thing work. For the most part, things would be the same, he would spend half of his time in Zayn’s apartment making sure he was eating and sleeping okay, and Zayn would pick him up on Tuesdays and Fridays to have dinner together to make sure he wasn’t overworking himself; but there were some things that would change. He could greet Zayn with a kiss when he got home -the mere thought made his cheeks flush and his tummy flutter-, and they could hold hands when walking down the street to their favorite Thai food place. 

So he lets himself daydream of them together and ignores the voice that says that Zayn just isn’t interested. 

~*~ 

Z 

The fact that his living room looks, for all porpouses, like a Christmas unicorn puked all over it is, in Zayn’s opinion, the epitome of how gone he’s for Niall. Up until four days ago, he didn’t even owned a Christmas tree, and now there’s one covered in fairy lights and tinsel, and don’t even get him started on the amount of green/red/golden attacking his eyeballs. 

What can he say? He’s a sucker for Niall’s pout and the bright smile that parts his face when he gets away with whatever is he wanted. 

But he has to draw the line at some point. That point is the fifth replay of Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas II You. 

“For fuck’s sake, Niall! If I have to hear Mariah singing about wanting me for Christmas one more time, I’ll kick your sorry ass back to Mulligar.” 

Niall’s answering cackle bounces painfully inside Zayn’s skull, making him wince. He’s about to start another threat when a heavy coughing fit hits him, leaving him gasping for air and tearing up at the intense twinge on his chest. He coughs for what feels like hours, and when he finally stops there’s a concerned looking Niall kneeling in front of the sofa. 

“I’m fine,” he wheezes, giving Niall a small smile. 

“No, you’re not. In fact, I think you’re getting worse,” Zayn shakes his head, knowing what’s coming, but his lungs are too tired for him to actually talk so Niall continues. “Please, Z, let me take you to the hospital.” 

“They’re just gonna give me the same meds I’m already on. You heard the doctor last time, there’s nothing more for it.” 

The worry is etched on the frown in Niall’s face and Zayn is reaching for his face, rubbing a thumb over the furrowed skin before he can think better of it. Niall looks up and they’re frozen for a moment, just looking at each other’s eyes, Zayn’s hand still in his face and Niall’s cheek warm under his fingers. The silence stretches for too long and Zayn retreats his hand rapidly, clearing his throat to break the somewhat uncomfortable atmosphere around them. 

Niall says nothing, opting to busy himself by picking up the bags and trash left from the unpacking of the tree’s ornaments. 

The rest of the morning goes by in a blur of glances over the shoulder and one to-many cups of tea for Zayn. Around noon, Niall makes some chicken sandwiches for lunch and insists on doing the dishes, even though Zayn is perfectly capable of doing it; the sight of Niall moving comfortably around his kitchen as he mumbles some Christmas song under his breath makes Zayn sigh wishfully. 

“Z? Everything alright?” Niall’s voice is soft, but makes clear that it isn’t the first time he’s asked. Zayn must have been more distracted than he thought. 

“Uh, yes, yeah, was just thinking about all the Christmas shopping I haven’t done,” it wasn’t the plain truth, but he had been thinking about it for a few days, since going to the shops was out the question. 

“Oh. Well, I was planning on finishing mine today, I could do yours too, if you wanted,” his voice was slightly strained, trying too hard to be casual. It was obvious, but Zayn appreciated the effort. 

“Yeah, that… thanks, that’s awfully nice of you. I mean, I haven’t even finished the list so you can’t get everything, obviously, but maybe just check and look around for some things and then I’ll get them or-” 

“Honestly, Z, it’s fine. I’ll do my best, don’t worry,” Niall interrupts him, sounding amused at his rambling. 

“Okay,” says Zayn in a chuckle. He takes a deep breath, voice getting softer and slower when he says, “I really appreciate it, Ni.” 

“It’s my pleasure, babes.” 

He knows Niall doesn’t mean it like that, but the pet name makes him blush. 

~*~ 

An hour later he hugs Niall and sends him on his way to the chaos that only Christmas shopping can achieve. Zayn had given him a ‘list’, which was just a piece of paper with “Mom - Blouse” and “Doniya - Something make-up” written on it. Niall had promised to look for nice and not overpriced things. 

Zayn spends the first forty-five minutes scrolling mindlessly on his phone, the next thirty flipping through the TV channels, trying, to no avail, to find something that catches his attention. But of course that Niall would call him when he’s in the bathroom, on the other side of the apartment, blowing his nose for the millionth time, without his phone. 

The picture he must have made when walking-running towards the living room and then scrambling around trying to find his phone before it goes silent, will stay forever on his mind as one of the most ridiculous ones. 

“Hey.” His voice is airy and low, his lungs agitated from the sudden movement. 

“Hi, you okay? You sound like an asmathic dog after a walk.” 

“Very funny, Niall, really.” He deadpans. “But, if you must know, I was in the bathroom, had to run out to pick up.” 

Niall’s cackle is so loud, Zayn has to remove the phone from his face. “Man, can’t believe I’ll never get to see that. Anyway,” he continues before Zayn can reply, “I just found some lovely blouses for your mom, but wanted you to help me choose before buying one. Care to switch to video-call?” 

“Ugh, I’m all sweaty and flushed-” 

“Kinky.” 

“And so not in the mood for this.” 

“C’mon, I really want to show this.” 

“Fine,” he says, overdoing the annoyance in his voice just for the sake of being difficult. Zayn tries to fix his hair, even though he knows it's a lost cause, before accepting the video-call. The screen shows a counter full of clothes, a couple of colorful blouses on top of everything. 

“So, I like the blue one better,” says Niall, his finger appearing on the screen, “kinda feel like it would go better with your mom’s skin tone, but there’s also this yellow one,” he moves his phone to the left, showing another blouse, “that’s like, ruffled and flowy, and she likes those so much so I don’t know. What do you think?” 

Zayn’s having trouble getting his mouth to work and, in all honesty, trying no to cry in camera. He knows Niall is a nice person, but the amount of thought that’s going into this is heartwarming -also, he knows what Zayn’s mom likes, but that’s another whole can of worms he’s not opening right now. 

“Well, I…” He has to clear his throat with how thick his voice is. “I like the blue one best, think she’s gonna like the color.” 

“Cool! That’s what I thought, too. Gimme a sec.” 

The camera is now pointing to the floor, but Zayn can hear Niall telling someone, probably the store worker helping him, that he’ll take the blue one and he stops breathing when he hears them answering “Sure! I hope your boyfriend’s mom likes it.” And Niall says… nothing. 

“Ok, so we have your mom’s present. Your list said something about make-up stuff for Doniya, but I passed by Lush earlier and saw some pretty things, so maybe you could get something from there for all of your sisters? I don’t know, there’s some cute sets of skin-care products and you can still get like, eyeshadow or highlighter or something like that for Doniya.” 

“Uh, yeah, sure.” 

Niall’s been walking around without turning the camera off, so Zayn can see the moment he enters the Lush, his shoes suddenly illuminated by a harsh white light, and for the next thirty-five minutes he walks around the shop helping Zayn choose the skin-care sets for Wali and Saf, and an eyeshadow palette for Doni. They keep talking until Niall gets to the parking lot. 

After they hang up, Zayn lays fully on the couch, heart on his throat and something warm buzzing in his veins. The past few days have been a rollercoaster for him, turned between having to constantly remind himself that Niall is his best friend and that he’s a caring person by nature, nothing out of the regular on his cuddles and cooking and pet names, and actually enjoying the comfort of having one of his favorite people around taking care of him. 

Today, however, is unknown territory. It’s not that weird that Niall knows about what Zayn’s family likes, but it feels like he’s gone a tad bit over his usual caring-self while shopping for his mom and sisters; and then there’s the looks Niall’s been giving him, soft and caring and yearning. Could he actually have a chance? 

~*~ 

N 

Who would have thought that picking a gift for your best friend who you want to be boyfriends with would be that hard? Not Niall. 

But it was really, really hard. It couldn’t be just anything, it had to be something that would say “You are the most amazing human I know and I’m so happy I met you and I’ve been thinking of kissing you and holding your hand for months.” 

So, yeah, something special. Which, as it turns out, wasn’t easy to find. But he had done it. Niall just hoped it would be enough. 

~*~ 

Z 

After a long fifteen minute session of overthinking, Zayn finally took a decision. 

He wasn’t much of a cook, and the whole pneumonia thing didn’t help his case, but he was set to make a somewhat decent but full of feeling dinner for Niall. Nothing said “You’re my best friend and I’m so grateful to have you but I’ve been wanting to kiss you and love you like a boyfriend for years” like a nice homecooked meal. 

So he moved his achy, overheated, panting self to the kitchen and began cooking, hoping this would say everything he hadn’t. 

~*~ 

N 

The first thing he noticed when he got to Zayn’s, was the silence; and then, the smell. It smelled like Zayn’s special stir-fry. He left the bags in the entrance hall and went straight to the kitchen. 

There, putting plates on the table and lighting candles, was Zayn. Niall’s feet were glued to the floor, his breath catching on his throat. He must have made some sort of sound, causing Zayn to turn to him, his eyes as saucers. 

“I made dinner,” said Zayn, hands twitching nervously. 

“Thanks. I… I brought you something.” He got to the table, shoving the small bag into Zayn’s hands. 

Zayn left it on the table and made an aborted gesture towards the stove. “The food is ready, we should, um, eat. I mean, if you want to. Not that you have to, of course, you must be tired after all that walking around.” 

A fond smile took place on Niall’s face, his hand reaching to cup Zayn’s cheek, making him look up. 

“I would love to have dinner with you.” 

Zayn nodded and sat down, still looking down. They ate in silence, trading small smiles and nervous glances over the table. When they were done, Niall downed what was left of his water and thanked Zayn. 

“So, are you gonna open it? It’s your early Christmas present.” He nodded towards the bag. 

Zayn’s hands were shaking a little as he took the bag and peered inside. 

~*~ 

Z 

He gasped, tears blurring his view. 

Inside, a bracelet, just like the one he had made for Niall in that stupid mingling activity where they had met. The original had some random colored beads and “Z&N” in the center. This one was full of black and green beads, with a plate in the center that read “Best (Boy)friend”. 

Before he could even think of making a question, Niall started talking. 

“It took me a long, long while to realize this, but… I love you, Zee. Spending this past week here with you, getting to take care of you and just, y’know, being with you, has been the highlight of the year. You have been my best friend for five years, but I would like to be more.” 

Tears were rolling down Zayn’s cheeks, and he couldn’t do anything else than launch himself towards Niall, hugging him and crying on his neck. 

“I’ve been waiting so long to hear something like this, Ni, to have the chance to be your boyfriend.” 

“Really?” 

“Well, of course,” he snorted. “Did you miss the way I've been clinging to you like a freaking koala for the past week? Or the fact that I made you stir-fry?” 

Niall laughed. 

“You do know how to get to my heart.” 

They stared at each other for a beat, smiles on their faces, and then Niall’s hands were on his cheeks and his mouth was coming closer. It took all of his willpower to step back. 

“Sorry, love, don’t want you to get sick,” he said, shrugging apologetically. 

Niall shaked his head and laughed softly, pulling him closer again. “I guess I’ll have to wait for that kiss, huh?” 

He opted for a kiss on his temple and a long, long hug. 

_Yes_ , thought Zayn, _this might be better than snuggling under a nice blanket._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, hope you liked it!


End file.
